Call for assistance in Wyndham candidate investigation

The Local Government Investigations and Compliance Inspectorate, the integrity agency for local government in Victoria, is investigating the activities of several candidates in the 2016 Wyndham City Council election.

Chief Municipal Inspector David Wolf said based on information received and anomalies identified during the investigation to date, it is now necessary to speak with all candidates who nominated for the Wyndham City Council election.

“The Inspectorate has gathered evidence that raises concerns about several candidates having unlawfully nominated or received payments to nominate. We need to understand if this is a broader issue or confined to these specific candidates in this election,” Mr Wolf said.

Today the Inspectorate issued notices to the majority of candidates in the 2016 Wyndham City Council election to attend an interview to confirm the eligibility of candidates and identify any unlawful activities.

The Inspectorate is also calling for submissions from Wyndham residents and interested parties who may have information that will assist with this investigation.

“Wyndham City Council and the Victorian Electoral Commission are assisting with our enquiries. It is important to note that this investigation does not reflect on Wyndham City Council as an organisation, which continues to provide good governance for the municipality. I encourage anyone with information which they believe may assist our investigation to come forward.

Our objective is to fully expose any illegal activity by candidates in order to protect the integrity of local government elections now and into the future."

The Inspectorate is seeking information from the public to assist with this investigation. Submissions can be made via the secure, dedicated Wyndham submission form.